ERIC Number: EJ1239383
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1470-8175
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Available Date: N/A
Integrating Scientific Literacy Skills into a Biochemistry Course for Nonscience Majors
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v48 n1 p54-60 Jan-Feb 2020
One of the goals for requiring all college students to take science courses is to develop critical thinking about scientific issues they will encounter as citizens, consumers, and patients. This article integrates skill development activities targeting civic scientific literacy skills in a nonscience majors (liberal arts) biochemistry course, but similar principles could be integrated into nursing and major levels biochemistry courses. Strategies include teaching information acquisition, source analysis argument analysis, and civic engagement. These can be integrated into classroom activities, homework assignments, and outside of class projects. The impact of these activities was assessed through performance on the activities, open ended exam questions, and an end of course survey. Students gained both biochemical content and skills in evaluating claims with evidence, and reported the course helped them better understand what scientists do and how to make decisions based upon scientific evidence without detracting from the typical content learning goals of the course.
Descriptors: Scientific Literacy, Biochemistry, Science Instruction, Nonmajors, College Students, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills, Skill Development, Liberal Arts, Course Descriptions, Teaching Methods, Homework, Citizen Participation, Class Activities, Course Content, Scientists, Decision Making, Scientific Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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